Double Galaxy - Hill Farmstead Brewery

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml growler (Tree House Brewery swing-top) filled at HF this past weekend (a few days ago). Thanks a ton Don for sharing this with us after we barely missed it the last time we were up there.

A- Pours a very hazy non-translucent yellowish orange with a white head that quickly dissipates (most pictures I've seen has a nice fluffy head with great retention so perhaps even though this growler is still very fresh some carbonation loss might have occurred). This is probably one of the haziest beers I've seen, even though it is fairly light in color there is hardly any light that penetrates.

S- Very aromatic with nice strong tropical fruity aromas of oranges, grapefruit, and pineapple. Easily one of the best smelling DIPAs I've encountered.

T- Similar to smell with tropical presence of pineapple, oranges, and grapefruit. Very flavorful with a nice bouquet of tropical fruits.

M- Medium bodied, very easy drinking, finishes with a slight alcohol bite that lets you know it's there but isn't very noticeable, a little bit fuller bodied then your average IPA.

O- This was another fantastic HF beer that was extremely flavorful and is one of my new favorites from them. I wish they could make this year round along with Abner. Although maybe slightly overrated this beer definitely lives up to it's hype and is well worth checking out.

Serving type: growler

02-22-2013 15:04:06 | More by jaasen64

montrealbcr89

Quebec (Canada)

4.76/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Served from a growler into HF tulip

A: Poured a murky bright yellow with orange highlights. 1.5 fingers of a bright white head

S: Wow. This is where this beer shines. HUGE tropical and stone fruit notes: sweet peach, papaya, pineapple, coupled with nice citrus elements - lemon peel, orange, and grapefruit.

T: Ton of that tropical fruit in the front of the mouth. Lemon peel emerges a little bit towards the middle of the tongue. Finishes quite dry and bitter

MF: Spot on. Medium body with carbonation on the lower end. Works perfectly.

O: Super drinkable, refreshing, at at 8%, the alcohol is not present at all.

I could drink this consistently. Paired great with spicy food. HF does not disappoint once again. Was worth the 2 hour wait in the cold. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

02-19-2013 05:10:22 | More by montrealbcr89

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

750 mL HF swingtop filled 2/16 poured into my NEBCO 668 tulip.

A - pours an aggressive, hazy orange with two fingers of eggy, large bubbled foam. leaves massive lacing everywhere.

S - lots of papaya, orange zest, grapefruit, lemon, a little mango-y. less tropical and more citrus than other galaxy single hops i've had, but in a very good way.

T - just wow. pineapple and other tropical fruits up front. juicy. citrus rind follows. barely any detectable "bitterness" in the classical sense (or perhaps i am just experiencing a lupulin threshold shift!). grainy malts at the end, leaves a wonderful happy sticky sweetness behind, in a non-cloying way.

M - medium to medium-low carbonation, medium body, sticky.

just wow.

Serving type: growler

02-18-2013 16:04:11 | More by tehzachatak

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.24/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750 mL growler poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Very hazy orange body. Light wisps on the surface. Clings a little bit.

Smell - Oh yeah. Buckets of hops. Excellent citrus hop smell but it still manages to have a grainy malt presence. Sweet hoppy nectar.

Taste - Juicy citrus hop. Orange and grapefruit flavors. Nice sweet flavor behind it. Very monotonic, but deliciously so. Grainy malt and the sweetness drops off.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Medium carbonation. Clean and just a little heavy.

Overall - One hop makes it a bit one-note, but the flavor is excellent. Definitely a top IPA.

Serving type: growler

02-12-2013 02:25:08 | More by Alieniloquium

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.43/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2 day old growler from the brewery

The beer pours a slightly hazy amber with a thin, whispy white head. The nose is subtle yet potent, slightly citrusy/lemony, and has a great sweetness. The taste is saturated with flavor - sticky, fruity hops, a touch of alcohol, and sweetness, all of which is incredibly well balanced. The mouthfeel is drinkable, medium bodied, hop forward...it's a beer you could drink endlessly. This is definitely worth getting a growler of, even if you're not impressed after trying the sample size (which I was not).

Serving type: growler

02-09-2013 00:00:50 | More by ThePorterSorter

macrosmatic

Florida

4.4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to dujayhawk for hooking me up! Reviewed from notes. Poured from HF growler into Russian River pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy gold with peach highlights. Medium size white fluffy head over fairly low visisble carbonation - perhaps due to the serving type, though this was a very fresh fill.

S: Wow, hops. Grass, pine, citrus, tropical fruit, all atop just a bit of biscuit malt.

T: Follows the nose well. Melon/spice hops show up big on the tongue, along with the big tropical fruit, and citrus. There are flavors of dank, resiny, citrus, and some grass hops. Surprisingly, though, it seems only moderately bitter amidst the cavalcade of hops. Just a big of chewy malt noticeable just before the swallow.

M: The alcohol is well-hidden. A big, heavy, sticky body for an IPA with good carbonation sensation.

O: This is very tasty, and I'm glad to have had an opportunity to try it. It's a very well-put-together beer, but the hop profile isn't my favorite (or I may have scored it even higher). Very impressive nevertheless.

Serving type: growler

02-03-2013 21:22:40 | More by macrosmatic

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Thank you, Eric. This review took me about 40 mins, as I allowed the beer to evolve and my sobriety to be compromised.

Pouring a hazy yellow orange with a dense, white head with excellent retention but surprisingly little lacing, this looks pretty decent. The nose is a beautiful expression of fruit hop notes. Tangerine zest, mango, passion fruit, a little floral character, fragrant honey, all bright, with minimal bitterness, this smells _excellent_. There is also a little bit of semi-ripe pineapple present. I can't perceive much malt character here. While the nose isn't explosive (like, say, Heady Topper), it does display depth and delicacy, which I enjoy.

The palate opens bright with a blend of moderate bitterness and plenty of tropical fruit. The layered flavors of citrus, mango, passion fruit and pink guava juice are delightful, but there is something that's a little lacking here. The hop flavors, while beautifully layered, aren't as bright and redolent as I'd hoped. Bitterness is moderate, delicately so, working well with the flavors. There may be a hint of pale malt somewhere here, but it doesn't particularly stand out, this is all about the hops. Given the delicacy of the flavors here, the medium-high carbonation is distracting. It makes this a blend of creamy and frothy on the palate, which when combined with the lack of aggression as far as the hop flavors go, seem a little muted. Once the carbonation does fall off, this does gain a slightly ethereal feel, which is nice. Drying, moderately bitter on the finish, with a lingering fruity hop flavor, this beer is pretty excellent.

I initially gave this beer a 4 for MF, but as I keep drinking it, it really does get better with subsiding carbonation, and so, I'm upping the score a hair. I guess what I was looking for was just a little bit of snap

Serving type: growler

01-30-2013 07:26:34 | More by DefenCorps

oline73

Maryland

4.49/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler into a tasting glass. We had this to break up the barleywines.

Pours a super cloudy yellow/golden color. The smell is full of fruity citrus hop notes and seems very fresh. The taste lives up to the beer's reputation. Full of juicy citrus and pine hop bitterness. Enough sweetness to balance the bitter but still let the hops be the star. The finish is bitter and full of wonderful hops.

Serving type: growler

01-28-2013 13:49:19 | More by oline73

SpeedwayJim

New York

4.49/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Kyle for getting this one for me. 22oz. growler into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Pours a .5 finger frothy white head with moderate retention. Beer is a cloudy, pale yellow-orange. Lacing is thick and layered with great stick. As always, quite the looker from Hill Farmstead.

Nose papaya, pineapple, starfruit, citrus, and cane sugar. Very pulpy and aromatic. Delicious!

Opens citrus, pineapple rind, papaya, and lemon rind bitterness. A light malt body balances this one in the back. Some citrus hop notes make their way to the front at the finish which is sticky and dry with a lightly astringent hop bitterness. Aftertaste is balanced tropical fruit. So drinkable and with a refreshingly new hop profile.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with some bubbles and life in the mouth and goes down dry and sticky with a long, lingering aftertaste. Perfect as always.

Double Galaxy is far from my favorite Hill Farmstead DIPA but that's not to say it isn't astoundingly complex, refreshing, and drinkable all at the same time. Definitely worth seeking out as this one is quite different from the other HF pale ales.

Serving type: growler

01-22-2013 00:39:01 | More by SpeedwayJim

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.55/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml to Lawson's Sniffer

A: Golden orange hone cloudy and basically completely opaque with a thick white fluffy head looks pretty much exactly like a dipa should in my opinion

S: Smells of tropical hops there is pretty much nothing there but hops but it has such a presence that you can almost smell the bitterness

T: HOP BOMB this thing literally punches you in the mouth with hops instantaneously after taking even the smallest sip. This resides some as the beer warms and the hops start of have a juicer flavor with some citrus notes, but there is still a strong bitterness with hints of pine resin. This beer is pretty much straight hops in terms of flavor profile but I see nothing wrong with that.

M: The feel is very oily and resinous you can almost feel the stickiness in your mouth and it lasts for a pretty decent amount of time after the finish. There is not much carbonation but the bite from the bitterness makes up for it with crispness.

O:This is a hop head's dream especially if you like galaxy and bitterness. I really enjoyed this and does live up to the hype, but it is a little too much for me, however compared to everything else this beer is amazing. If you can get your hands on it try it for sure.

Serving type: growler

01-20-2013 21:18:39 | More by Pinknuggets

srandycarter

California

4.41/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Murky light apricot, HUGE head, tons of cling lace that lasts forever. Head has long stay too.

S - A little musky, skanky, cat pee, sweet malt behind.

T - Nice. Big malt, balanced well with the hops described above.

M - Medium body, good carb and great balance.

D - I have a growler, I plan to do it some damage tonight.

Serving type: growler

01-19-2013 03:13:18 | More by srandycarter

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-golden orange color with a nice white head and good lacing

S-citrus, tropical fruit, pine, floral notes, very fragrant

T-nice tropical fruit and citrus upfront with light grapefruit flavor, pine and bitter hoppy finish follow, well-balanced

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp and yet smooth, alcohol well integrated

O-delicious and certainly and upper echelon DIPA

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2013 01:31:45 | More by MDDMD

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.53/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy orange with a beautiful bright white and creamy head on top. Citrus and tropical fruits pack a punch right up front on the nose. A nice variety of lemon and orange alongside juicy mango and pineapple. Just a hint of pine resin in the background.

First sip is like drinking the mix of juices from a bowl of tropical fruit salad. Mango and passionfruit with a bit of orange as well. Not nearly as grapefruit-centric as many IPAs are these days. This is followed by a healthy bit of floralness and some heat from the alcohol.

Mouthfeel is rather full-bodied with smooth but bubbly texture. Overall, another winner from HF. I'd put this on par with Heady Topper and just below Abner.

Serving type: growler

01-19-2013 00:20:11 | More by Kinsman

Skrip

South Carolina

3.99/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml growler poured into a Jester King snifter

A~ glowing amber color, cloudy but still beautiful. nice head as well.

S~ overpowering citrus all around! lemons, grapefruits, mangos, etc... just the smell i want from a DIPA.

T~ following the nose with very nice bitterness from the hops. pine and earthy notes too!

M~ very nice and smooth, some what thick and creamy but not over powering. this is a double i could drink all day long and definitely fall over =]

O~ could be one of my favorite double IPA's but at this point i've said that so many times its really hard to pick... would definitely drink again, but IMO it would be easier to seek out some heady or something similar and still have just about the same experience, maybe even better?

Serving type: growler

01-16-2013 22:29:01 | More by Skrip

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.09/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Growler courtesy of Andy. Thanks!

A: Cloudy lemon yellow. Foams dies down after a decently aggressive pour. Legs are OK. Not perfect, but acceptable. Might be turbulent still from the shipping.

N: Clementines, pineapple, grapefruit. Pretty intense citrus. However, I don’t find there to be much depth to this. It’s like a wind through an orange grove.

T: Very full. Pine and earth. Lots of citrus: Mandarins, passionfruit, pineapple. Quite tasty, but like the nose, it seems to hit a high dimension in the front and leave the back end lacking.

M: Sticky and filling. Alcohol is well-hidden.

O: A very solid DIPA and not when I’d ever turn down. Balanced and flavorful, bitter and filling, but it feels like it’s lacking another dimension which would bring it to the top tier for me.

Serving type: growler

01-15-2013 17:14:21 | More by writerLJBerg

MasterCraft

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Have had this beer multiple times from multiple bars on tap in the last week, but this review is live and from a 750ml growler, picked up at the brewery 5 days ago. Poured into a tulip.

Looks like natural apple juice coming out of the growler, pours a nice hazy apple juice color with a fat white head. Sticky lacing.

Smells dank, like overripe mangos and passionfruit, a little cat piss but somehow not in a bad way.

Tastes again like borderline-rotting mango and passionfruit, solid bitter bite, clearly a palate ruiner. I get maybe a little pine, lots of fruitiness and basically no citrus. Little to no malt character.

Mouthfeel is great in my book, very creamy and inviting, medium carb, evident tannins from the hops. About 8-9oz is, my mouth feels like it's covered in hop particles.

Overall, a pretty great beer. It reminds me very much of Lawson's Kiwi. I enjoy single-hop beers, as they are an exercise in brewing restraint (though it's hard to argue this beer is in any way restrained). As far as DIPA, I enjoy Heady Topper and Abner more.

Serving type: growler

01-10-2013 01:20:13 | More by MasterCraft

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.76/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Massive thanks to DaveHack for pouring this one.

The beer poured out as a cloudy yellow color with a decent lookin white head. The retention is pretty good the lacing is also pretty nice. The smell of the beer is very hoppy, lots of fruity aromas and citrus. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, good carbonation and creamy. Overall very good. I really enjoyed this beer!!

Serving type: growler

01-10-2013 00:08:45 | More by Knapp85

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.43/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

64oz swing top growler filled Saturday 12/29/12
Heady Topper stemless wine glass

A: Pours a really cloudy hazy bright yellow orange color. Layer of bright white head. Still has tons of carbonation. Leaves sticky lacing sheeting all over the glass.

S: Getting some serious fruity hop aromas. Grapefruit, tangerine, mango, etc. Just an epic hop bomb. Also getting some herbal hop notes too? Maybe my nose is off. In appearance and small so far, very HT like.

T: This is really awesome stuff here. Not overly bitter on the tip of the tongue. Great citrus hop bomb. Getting all that grapefruit rind and orange juice like character that you smelled. There is minimal malt backing here. Just lingering hoppy goodness. Leads you to a nice dry finish.

M: Medium bodied. Mouth coated in hop flavors.

Serving type: growler

01-07-2013 14:04:03 | More by inlimbo77

cfrances33

Illinois

4.95/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Growler poured into a Hill Farmstead stem.

Pour: Really nice hazy yellow orange, with two fingers of which foamy head. Head hangs around and leaves some really nice matted lacing. Body has a beautiful glowing aspect to it.

Smell: Huge grapefruit and tangerines up front, followed by some pineapple. Some light pine, but this is a citrus bomb. Some very light honey and biscuits on the back.

Taste: Bitter, juicy grapefruit explosion up front. Lots of citrus, some mango, and other tropical fruits. A nice bready sweetness tries to balance, but this is a hop assault. Finishes bitter with citrus.

Mouthfeel: Very juicy, and quite bitter. A nice medium body that has a certain breadyness to it. Finishes bitter.

Overall: This beer definitely lives up to its hype. An absolute citrus explosion. I think I personally prefer Double Citra, but one of the best nonetheless.

Serving type: growler

01-05-2013 17:16:34 | More by cfrances33

lovindahops

New York

5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thinking this will be the pinnacle of our Vermont trip on Saturday, December 29th. This was tapped that Saturday morning and we grabbed three growlers of it. Reviewing new years eve....

A- double galaxy pours a hazy golden yellow body that bursts with colors equivalent to the brightest yellow highlighter you will ever see. A plethora of white foam bursts onto the stage leaving massive spider web lacing on the edges of my hill farmstead stem glass. Very vibrant and inviting. On second thought, it's glowing.

S- A whack of pineapple juice blasts forth with mango and apricot flavors. Absolutely citric and as juicy as it gets. DG is as fruity and citric as it gets. Nevertheless there is a bitter element coupled by some herbal scent. A little pine at the exit and not to mention the alcohol is hidden. These galaxy hops are off the charts.

T- A sweet rush of grapefruit that is enrobed in pineapples laces my mouth with brilliant bright flavors. This is like a tropical getaway for your palate. Astringent flavors of ripened fruit it matched with some caramel sweetness that has not been seen before. Whatever Shaun Hill did with the initial use of galaxy hops was essentially magnified by the dry hopping with the same hops. A perfect score for a DIPA when you include some mouth watering bitterness as well

M- refreshing, crisp, sticky, resinous flavors all over. Perfect feel

O- nearly three years on beeradvocate and finally it has happened for me. A 5/5. This is the best beer I have ever tasted. The attention to detail to this brew established the best DIPA in the planet in my opinion. What a brew. Give Double Galaxy the credit it deserves and drink it fresh! Great job Hill Farmstead!!!!

Serving type: growler

01-01-2013 00:08:47 | More by lovindahops

JohnSvag

4.95/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

ok, i haven't had this for about a year, so i'm going from memory. But the memory is a beautiful thing. This beer was "SUMMER IN A GLASS"! big fruity grapefruit aroma just radiating out of the top of the glass. the taste was bright grapefruity hops. summer in Vermont is SHORT and a glass of this beer helps you to pause and take in and enjoy every moment you can and think "hey, i can walk down the street in shorts and a t-shirt and feel just fine!"

this is the land of the Alchemist's wonderful Heady Topper (which i am enjoying right now) and the idea of a Hill Farmstead Double Galaxy brings a smile to my face.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2012 21:04:39 | More by JohnSvag

tarheels86

California

4.15/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

750mL flip-top thanks to oteyj. Hazy, glowing deep orange pour. Fluffy, buttermilk head. Huge, 360, sheets of lacing. Long retention. Significantly fruitier, more tropical melon aroma than the Columbus Pale Ale. Vanilla tinged alcohol noticeable in the nose along with sticky jackfruit, mango, cantaloupe. Taste is soft, balanced, fruity, thicker mango and sweet strawberries saved by decent pine resin. Quite rich and almost dessert like compared to other HFS hop bombs. Doesn’t get boozy at all, which is quite nice. Thicker, oily mouthfeel. Fluffy. Long, quenching palate with mild peach yogurt. 8% is impossibly hidden. Be careful ;) 3/28/2012 8/5/8/5/16=4.2

Serving type: growler

09-06-2012 19:47:57 | More by tarheels86

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2L growler, drank a week later. Very murky hazy blond pour with very small head. Probably the worst looking beer I’ve had from Hill Farmstead. Aroma is a burst of tropical fruits, mango and pinneaples with a woody and rustic touch. Taste: Citrusy and spicy hops. Not as expressive as the other HF DIPA I’ve had but highly drinkable. Full bodied med-low carbonation. A little attenuated because it wasn’t consumed as fast as it should have. Should have drank this one sooner, but still very good nonetheless.

Serving type: growler

07-17-2012 17:36:00 | More by Luk13

gonzowestwood

Connecticut

4.83/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap

A- Pale Yellow Orange, Big Head and Real Cloudy

S- Fresh Hops, Grape Fruit, grain, grassy, mango, orange and farm smell

T- Oh WoW! Big Big Hop Bomb Flavor. Very nice display of the Galaxy Hops. Same as the smell... orange and mango god damn!

MF- Would say Medium Body but has a very smooth overall feel

O- Overall an absolutely, amazing, World Class IPA. At 8% it a real creeper. Shaun Hill has done it again. . .

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2012 04:43:45 | More by gonzowestwood

vonnegut21

New York

4.83/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Growler-share my friend picked up one day at the brewery. From notes, finally getting around to reviewing.

Appearance: Dark golden pour into a Hill Farmstead tulip. Thick head that slowly dissipates and leaves the glass thoroughly laced.

Smell: Citrus and spices. Grapefruit is strongly present. Hops and a piney resin scent a lightly present in the backbone, but this one is all citrus.

Taste: The galaxy hops really shine here. Grapefruit, orange, tropical fruits. Lightly bitter to start, with a stronger, lasting bitterness to finish. Beautiful.

Mouthfeel: Mild carbonation with a medium body. Slick and smooth on the palate.

Overall: This is by far the best IPA/DIPA I've ever had. I drank this immediately after a Headdy Topper and it put my previous favorite of the style (and still much beloved) to shame. I can't wait to try the other single hop experiments from Shaun. Incredible.

Serving type: growler

05-08-2012 17:18:23 | More by vonnegut21